Sliding strip puzzle game



Ap 1968 L. R. TREINIS 3,377,071

SLIDING STRIP PUZZLE GAME Filed Oct. 18, 1965 United States Patent 3,377,071 SLIDING STRIP PUZZLE GAME Leonard R. Treinis, 1 Damson Lane, Valley Stream, N.Y. 11581 Filed Oct. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 497,394 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-155) This invention relates to a word puzzle device, and more particularly to a game or word puzzle device wherein the player may be provided with clues and, based upon the clues, may manipulate the parts of the device to work out a solution.

Further, this invention relates to a word puzzle game board and indicia means therefor whereby the user may work out a clue or series of clues and thus propound a problem or puzzle for the possessor of a similar game board and associated apparatus.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a game puzzle board.

A further object of the invention is to provide a puzzle board and strip indicia means whereby clues may be progressively supplied and wherein the user may, by following the clues, arrive at an answer at a read-out level or line on the game board.

Still more particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a word puzzle board wherein the user is permitted to set up the board with a desired answer at the read-out line and, by means of code indicia, enable the possessor of a similar board to arrive at the solution on his read-out line, by giving suitable clues.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a word puzzle device including a board having indicia markings and means for holding a plurality of strips of letters mountable on the board in a plurality of relatively oriented positions one to the other, there being provided means for orienting the strips with respect to each other and with respect to the board in such manner as to align the strips to define a desired message, word or answer to a puzzle.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a game board and indicia strips in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a magnified sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of another embodiment of the invention.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a play board divided into vertically extending columns 11. The board may include a backing 12, an iron or other magnetic facing 13 and a plurality of vertically extending ribs 14, the ribs being preferably covered by a decorative skin material 15. It will be seen that the ribs 14 divide the face of the board into vertical columns.

The board is provided, preferably adjacent the margin, with a plurality of height indicia markers 16, the markers being regularly spaced apart vertically on the board. One of the indicia markers 16' may define a read-out line.

A plurality of longitudinally extending code strips 17 of widthwise dimension generally equal to the spacing of the ribs 14, are provided. The strips 17 are provided with sequence indicia markings 18, preferably in the form of numerals, the markings of each strip being different from the sequence indicia markings of the other strips. In the illustrated embodiments of the invention, sequence indicia means or markers take the form of sequential numbers 1 through 15.

The strips 17 are provided with regularly spaced apart letters 19, the letters extending substantially the entire 2 length of the strips, the letters being regularly spaced apart to correspond with the spacing of the indicia markings 16 of the board. In the embodiment of FIGURES l and 2, the under surface of the strips 17 has one or more magnetic members 20 glued or otherwise aflixed thereto.

It will be readily understood that by reason of the iron 13, it is possible to place the strip members in any of the channels defined between the ribs 14, the combined action of the ribs and magnets securing the strips against inadvertent movement with respect to the board while still permitting the strips to be slid longitudinally with respect to each other or removed bodily from the board, when this is desired.

It will be readily recognized that the board and strips in accordance with the invention may be used in a multitude of ways, the following suggested use being purely illustrative.

One player having a board and strips, hereinafter referred to as the Propounder, sets up the strips in any predetermined order, sliding the strips upward or downward so that the letters on the strip at the level of the readout line 16' register or display a desired answer. The Propounder next develops a clue.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 1, the answer is Thomas Jefferson and the Propounder may suggest a clue such as He was our third president. It will be noted that for flexibility, one or more of the strips may include a dot or other indicia which indicates a wild letter, in this instance such wild letter representing the terminal n.

In addition, the Propounder advises the other participant, who is known as the Player, of the order of sequence in which the strips are to be arranged on the play board. In the manner in which the board is set up in FIGURE 1, the Player would thus be advised to place the #6 strip first; #12 strip second; #5 strip third, #14 strip fourth, etc.

The Player, based on the clue provided, now will attempt to slide the strips upwardly and downwardly on the board so as to spell out the answer on the read-out line 16. In the event that the Player is unable to arrive at, and hence spell out, the answer within a predetermined time, the Propounder may provide a clue which will align one of the strips, for instance the first strip #6, at the proper level, to place the first letter of the answer in juxtaposition with the read-out line. Thus, to give the next clue in the illustrated problem, the Propounder would say Place strip #6 at level line 6. The Player will therefore, immediately be aware that the first letter of the answer is a T.

The process of periodically providing subsequent clues, permitting the Player to align successive strips, may be followed by the Propounder until either the player is able to arrive at the desired solution or until all of the strips are properly aligned.

It is an important, desirable feature of the present invention that the game may be played by a single person operating from a book or sheet which gives clues and also strip setting. One of the desirable phases of the invention lies in the fact that such a booklet need not give an answer but, rather, merely give a sequence of numbers, enabling the progressive alignment of the strips. Therefore, unlike other puzzle devices, a single player may be exposed to the entire answer to the problem and yet, since the answer, which is in terms of coding for aligning the strips, will not be intelligible but will merely be a direction for orienting the strips, the ability of the player to look at the entire answer at once will not spoil or compromise the puzzle.

It will be readily recognized that the device may also be used for the amusement of a plurality of people. In one preferred end use, a plurality of players may be given the original clue and subsequent strip aligning clues, the first of the group able to piece together the proper answer being declared the winner.

As a further variation, it is possible to sell or publish booklets giving the initial clue, the strip sequence and the progressive clues necessary in the event of the inability of the player to arrive at the correct answer independently.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 3, the play board is shown to have dovetail or undercut channel slots 21, the strips 22 being substantially fiat and sleeved into interfitting relation with the dovetail slots. It will be seen that by this relationship the strips will not be permitted to fallout of the slots but, nonetheless, may be inserted endwisely into the slots or channels and slid longitudinally with respect thereto. Preferably, the width of the strips is such as to provide a friction fit within the channels, so as to resist lengthwise shifting.

Having thus described the invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A word puzzle device comprising a plurality of elongated strips each having regularly spaced-apart letters, sequence indicia means on said strips for arranging said strips in predetermined order, a play board including holding means for supporting said strips in parallel, side-byside orientation, a row of indicia markings on said board running parallel with said strips, the markings defining said row being spaced apart to correspond with the spacing of the letters on said strips, and a read-out indicator line on said board displaced from and running normal to said row of indicia markings.

2. A word puzzle device comprising a plurality of elongated strips each having regularly spaced-apart letters, sequence indicia means on said strips for arranging said strips in predetermined order, a play board including holding means for supporting said strips in parallel, side-byside orientation and permitting relative lengthwise sliding movement of said strips, a row of indicia markings on said board running parallel with said strips, the markings defining said row being spaced apart to correspond with the spacing of the letters on said strips, and a read-out indicator line on said board displaced from and running normal to said row of indicia markings.

3. A word puzzle device comprising a plurality of elongated strips each having regularly spaced-apart letters, sequence indicia markings on said strips for arranging said strips in predetermined order, a play board for said strips, said board including means cooperatively engaging said strips and holding said strips to said board in parallel, side-by-side relation while permitting sliding relative lengthwise movement of said strips and board, a row of indicia markings on said board running parallel with said strips, the markings defining said row being spaced apart to correspond with the spacing of the letters on said strips, the board indicia markings and the sequence indicia markings together defining means indicating the lengthwise adjustment of the strips, and a read-out indicator line on said board displaced from and running normal to said row of markings of said board.

4. A word puzzle device comprising a plurality of elongated strips each having regularly spaced-apart letters, sequence indica markings on said strips for arranging said strips in predetermined order, a play board for said strips, said board including elongated channel means engaging and supporting said strips in parallel, side-by-side relation while permitting independent relative longitudinal movement between said strips and said board, a row of indicia markings on said board running parallel with said strips, the markings defining said row being spaced apart to correspond with the spacing of the letters on said strips, the board indicia markings and the sequence indicia markings together defining means indicating the longitudinal adjustment of the strips, and a read-out indicator line on said board displaced from and running normal to said row of markings of said board.

5. A device in accordance with claim 4 wherein said channel means include lengthwise extending slots in number corresponding to the number of said strips, said slots having partial covering portions limiting outward movement of said strips away from said board while exposing the majority of the faces of said strips.

6. A device in accordance with claim 4 and including magnet means interposed between said strips and said board for magnetically drawing said strips to said board.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,261,040 10/1941 Steinhardt 273-l 2,352,555 6/1944 Mandl 273- 2,413,592 12/ 1946 Strother 35-75 X 2,610,792 9/ 1952 Kaufman. 3,168,787 2/1965 Surrey 4064 X FOREIGN PATENTS 513,402 8/1952 Belgium.

26,212 1910 Great Britain. 522,675 6/ 1940 Great Britain.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A WORD PUZZLE DEVICE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED STRIPS EACH HAVING REGULARLY SPACED-APART LETTERS, SEQUENCE INDICIA MEANS ON SAID STRIPS FOR ARRANGING SAID STRIPS IN PREDETERMINED ORDER, A PLAY BOARD INCLUDING HOLDING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID STRIPS IN PARALLEL, SIDE-BYSIDE ORIENTATION, A ROW OF INDICIA MARKINGS ON SAID BOARD RUNNING PARALLEL WITH SAID STRIPS, THE MARKINGS DEFINING SAID ROW BEING SPACED APART TO CORRESPOND WITH THE SPACING OF THE LETTERS ON SAID STRIPS, AND A READ-OUT INDICATOR LINE ON SAID BOARD DISPLACED FROM AND RUNNING NORMAL TO SAID ROW OF INDICIA MARKINGS. 